LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to announce the 15-member Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2024 on May 22, it has been learnt.
The national selection committee has finalised the squad, led by skipper Babar Azam and comprising five fast bowlers, four all-rounder, two wicket keepers, three batsmen and a spinner.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has set May 25 as the deadline for announcing a 15-member World Cup squad.
Pacer Haris Rauf has also been included in the squad after recovering from injury while Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Irfan Khan will travel with the team as reserves, the sources claimed.
Pakistan placed in Group-A of the World Cup alongside arch-rivals India, Ireland, Canada and the USA. Team Pakistan will play their first World Cup match on June 6 against the USA in Dallas. The most anticipated clash of titans between Pakistan and India will take place on June 9 (Sunday) in New York.
Moreover, pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi expressed optimism for showing their best in the forthcoming T20 World Cup. “Our job is to bring happiness to the people; I would like to see Pakistan victorious in the upcoming World Cup in the United States and West Indies,” he said, adding: “Right now, I am completely fit and fully braced for the T20 World Cup.”
About Pakistan white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten, Afridi said, “Gary Kirsten has said an excellent thing to me: don’t play for the name that is written on the back of your shirt, but play for the name that is written in front of the jersey.”
He said, “It is not the right time to indulge in any sort of debate, but to achieve a real objective. The nation loves us, and the people want us to be seen as victorious.”
Afridi acknowledged the former Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed’s role, saying, “Sarfraz Ahmed has greatly guided me. I feel lucky that I got the opportunity to represent Pakistan at such a young age and in such a short time.”
Pakistan’s expected squad for T20 World Cup is comprised of Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Reserves: Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Ali and Irfan Khan.
Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2024 schedule:
June 6: Pakistan vs USA, Dallas
June 9: Pakistan vs India, New York
June 11: Pakistan vs Canada, New York
June 16: Pakistan vs Ireland, Lauderhill
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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